Mets Eyeing Lowe, Fuentes

Joel Sherman of the New York Post talked to an NL executive who has spoken to Mets officials. That official says the Mets plan to pursue free agent pitchers Derek Lowe and Brian Fuentes this winter. Sherman believes they will check in on C.C. Sabathia and Francisco Rodriguez, but won’t be willing to match their prices.

Lowe and Fuentes would fill two of the Mets’ three offseason needs for roughly $30MM in ’09 salary. That could be all of the available money, unless the Mets backload the contracts, raise payroll, or shed salary via trades. Left field would be the team’s remaining question mark.